Eco-I North West honours business and university collaborations tackling climate change
An eco innovation developed by a business in Widnes has been honoured at an awards ceremony for its efforts to tackle climate change.
Eco-I North West (Eco-I NW) is a research and development programme to create new sustainable technologies, products and services, delivered by a consortium of universities including Lancaster, Central Lancashire, Cumbria, Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores and Manchester Metropolitan.
Over the course of the programme it will have given more than 330 SMEs access to the extensive knowledge base, cutting-edge research facilities, built new networks to drive innovation, and supported the development of innovative solutions which will save 3,850 tonnes of CO2.
The success of the programme was celebrated at the Eco Innovation awards at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.
The success of the programme was celebrated at the Eco Innovation awards at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.
Used Kitchen Exchange, based in Widnes, who are behind an innovative, ethical solution for pre-owned kitchens, scooped the award for ‘Most Impactful Business Innovation’ for their work with Liverpool John Moores University to develop a carbon saving tool to benchmark and promote carbon and tree savings for reuse, with average savings of 3.5 tonnes of carbon and 1.6 trees every time a kitchen is reused.
Co-founder Phil Lord said: “We are grateful for the recognition from Eco-I NW. Working with Liverpool John Moores University has been instrumental in validating our sustainability credentials and consequently the success of our business. The collaboration enabled our idea to achieve eco validation and engage with the industry.
“From starting the business eight years ago, we have grown to a workforce of almost 40 and a £6m turnover. We have proven the economic and environmental value of a circular economy and look forward to expanding our vision to power circularity in the Interiors Industry including kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and other furniture.”
Eco-I NW, which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), was led by the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation (CGE) team at Lancaster University.
Commenting on the awards, Dr Andy Pickard, manager of the CGE, said: “Eco-I North West has been an incredibly successful programme which has showcased what can be achieved via collaborative research between academia and business.
“These awards have been a celebration of the impressive work by our six regional university partners, talented undergraduates and postgraduates, and hundreds of small and medium sized businesses.”
“Over the last three years we have created a melting pot of disruptive innovation, driven by collaboration which will continue long into the future. But if we are going to truly achieve the rapid transition to more sustainable economies and societies in the face of the climate emergency, we need to grow our network of collaborators. I would encourage businesses to connect with this region’s universities and start the conversation.”
Keynote speaker at the awards was Wayne Hemingway, the celebrated designer, who spoke about his passion for sustainability.
